Seoul at New Year
 

I shall be in Seoul 1-3 January. Am I likely to find anything open (shops/restaurants/museums/sights)? Any recommendations for top of the range Korean restaurants would also be appreciated.

Still looking for advice
 

Does nobody have any insight on this? Are there no Korean resident FT-ers? All I know is that it's going to be co-o-o-o-ld.

I am not a resident but I have been to Korea during new years and I think most of the bars and restaurants opened during new years. Convienent stores were definitely open so you won't have trouble finding emergency stuff like asprin, tissues or whatever.

recomendation:
I heard the spa in W hotel Seoul is absolutely amazing. Its suppose to be really beautiful and luxurious. They offer spa for men too. But good things dont come cheap; its a bit pricey so be aware.

Some suggestions...
 

As you would imagine, quite a few places will be closed on Jan 1, but many will be open by Jan 2, if not sooner.

As for restaurants, the best places in Korea are the hole in the wall places. Have bulkoki, kalbi, samkyupsal (pork belly), dak-kalbi (chicken) etc in these places as well as various stews.

If you want more upscale places, some reknowned places are:

Sanchon (14 Gwanghun Dong, Jongno Gu Insadong; Tel: 02 735 0312 ): vegetarian fare. run by Buddhist monks.

Sariwon (1321-7, Socho-dong, Socho-gu;
Tel : 02-3444-3554) Korean food/bulgogi

Yongsusan (148, Wonso-dong, Jongro-gu;
Tel : 02-743-5999) Korean food/ Korean (traditional)food: Gaesong-style

Also, make sure to try Korean Chinese at places like Daeryodo or Lotus. Ask your concierge.

I work in Seoul and spend most of my time in Kangnam area around COEX which is where my office is located. If you stay in this area most everything will be open, most neighborhood restaurants, where the good food is anyway, as well as entertainment.

I might recommend the Oakwood Premier Apartment Suites, perhaps not 6****** but very nice and roomy and good value for $$$. 1 block away is the brand new Park Hyatt which is excellent.

In this area you will have your choice of Korean, Continental, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese and other cuisines. Still it is not far from other centers of interest.

PM me if you would like to pursue this further or if I can do anything else to help.

Enjoy Seoul, bring WARM clothes, you already know that it is cold and the wind is fierce - that's the worst part.

bb

By Vietnamese, do you mean the excellent Pho chain outpost about three - four blocks from COEX? In the sidestreets between Tehran road and the park? ;)

It's one of the two restaurants that myself and my Korean mentor normally go in Gangnam. The other is a 24h Sollontang place close to Shinsa-dong, a largish space with meatshop at a busy intersection.

Thinking about going to Seoul next year. I was wondering if most landmarks/famous sightseeing points are accessible by public transportation. I would like to do this on my own as opposed to a tour, but I don't want to drive if possible. Lastly, I don't speak Korean. Thanks in advance.

LAX

Right you are, you most certainly don't want to drive... but practically every point of interest in Seoul is accessible by subway, which is cheap, much faster than the traffic jams above and reasonably foreigner-friendly.

I agree. Cabs in Seoul are very cheap (as opposed to say, Tokyo or the U.S.) but your best way to see the city is through the subway. I think the area by City Hall is very beautiful. There are various palaces in this area situated right next to modern buildings.

Personally, my favorite part of living in Seoul is just the different culture here. Things like eating and drinking soju at a pojangmacha (tent restaurant). Going to a jjim jil bang (kind of a spa/sauna type of thing).

Do you think I would miss much if I go on my own and rely on public transportation as opposed to joining a tour with its own arranged transportation?

LAX

Personally, I am not a big fan of tours. I like to do research on my own and check things out on my own schedule. Is there anything in particular type of attraction (cultural, shopping, etc.) you'd like to see?

One thing I'd definitely recommend is visiting Cheonggyecheon at night. It used to be a stream many many years ago. Then they built over it with a highway. I think about two years ago, the Seoul mayor embarked on an ambitious project to destroy the highway (which was heavily used) and to restore the stream. It's beautiful at night.

Oh, I guess my reply didn't really answer your question much. I don't think you'd miss much relying on public transportation. I actually believe using the subway system is quicker than taking a car (traffic, finding parking). I know in downtown Seoul by City Hall, there are bus tours you can take. They are either free or really cheap so it's definitely one option to look at.

I think your replies have been helpful. I really don't have anything in particular in mind at the moment, but I just want to find out in advance whether touring Seoul without a car is possible since most cities in the US require a car if one were to do any meaningful touring. Do you have any suggestions as far as "must-sees" are concerned? Thanks in advance.

LAX

I've never thought of Seoul as a sightseeing destination. The Royal Palaces and the National Museum & the Chaebol financed arts venues are "typical" capital fare. For me, Seoul is more about exciting fusion restaurants, trendy night venues and contemporary architecture and design than Korean values. For traditional Korea I would still recommend a day trip outside of Seoul, the rest of the country is dramatically different from the capital.

As mosburger mentioned, Seoul doesn't really have much sightseeing. I visit to say, Kyeong-ju would be much better for cultural sightseeing. I don't know what to call it but Seoul's more of a "lifestyle" tourist place. I think the best experience you can receive in Seoul is to take in the city like a local person would.

As for sights, I would go to Cheonggyecheon. In downtown, there are the various gates such as Gwanghwamun and then there's Duksoogoong palace. There's Insa-dong which is kind of an "older traditional Korean" district in Seoul. All of these places are within walking distance of each other.

For shopping, there's Namdaemun and Dongdaemun. If you're not really into the shopping but just want to check it out for cultural reasons, I'd choose Namdaemun but if you actually want to purchase clothes, I would choose Dongdaemun.

Almost every place in Seoul is accessible by subway/foot and if someplace isn't, then it'd only be a short cab ride (few dollars at most) from a nearby subway station.